Lev snuggles him.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay." He's very snuggly. "Marlo asked me to anchor for him. — technically he hasn't actually asked yet, he just told me he was thinking about asking, but let's be real he asked." 

"What do you think?"

"That I'm going to do it." He's still very snuggly. "— he was making himself sleep with people he didn't want to, and then when I told him to cut it out he just — did." 

"Sounds like a good trait for an anchor. Have you talked to Chris?"

"At lunch today. He was in favor." 

"I trust his judgment on this sort of thing."

He nods. "...how do you feel about it?" 

"...I want you to have a job you like and you're good at, and I don't want to make your decisions for you, and I can't actually justify keeping a good anchor from doing his job, and part of me is envisioning your reaction when Marlo dies and that part wants to go to Chris and tell him he's not allowed to train you as an anchor and then hold you forever and keep you safe." He sighs. "But that is not a good way to do a relationship."

"I love you." 

"I love you too."

"I mean it," he says, his voice very soft. "Your first thought was about wanting to keep me safe, I — wasn't expecting you to react badly but I worried." 

"How would I react badly other than by stopping you from doing things you should do because I want you to be safe?"

"...I don't really get how dating works but you could have thought I was cheating, or something. And instead you want me to do the thing I'm good at except for the part of you that wants me to be safe, and that's really sweet, and I love you." 

"I'm not Catholic."

"I'm not super clear about what Catholics believe but I'm pretty sure they think you have to be married and we aren't that. — the people in books weren't usually Catholic either and they still cared, at Nova we all had each other but I know that's not how most people work." 

"Before the Bliss people who weren't Catholics were usually monogamous but in Eros we're usually not unless you're Catholic or you have a conversation about it. I was with Asher because he wanted to but I don't really care one way or the other. --The Catholics think you shouldn't have sex unless you're married and you're not taking any steps to make sure you don't have a baby."

"Weird." Kiss. "I love you and I'm really glad I'm here." 

"If I were monogamous I wouldn't be dating you because-- I still hope that Asher might wake up."

Sasha holds him tighter, takes his hand and laces their fingers together. 

"I'm glad you aren't monogamous, then." 

"He'd like you."

Very gentle squeeze. "I wish I could meet him." 

"I talk to him every day. Because we don't know if the sleepers can hear us and because... it helps."

"— I could go with you, at some point. If you wanted."